A Tale of 100 Themes (aka Working Title)
by Dark Angelic Wolf
Summary: This is the Tale of Akira Miles told in 100 Themes. Assigned against her will by her uncle and Nono to guard Tsuna as he trains under Reborn, Akira is forced to watch her cousin attract dangerous, crazy, and powerful people to his side. All the while she stands at his back, guarding and supporting him from the shadows. But will she escape her Taint or be the light her family needs?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Introduction**

"Well, if it isn't Smoking Bomb Hayato." An amused voice greeted the silver-haired teenager, causing him to turn around. A black-haired girl smirked lazily at him from her seat at the small cafe they occupied, her blue eyes flashing in the afternoon sun, "What brings _you_ here?"

"Che, I could ask you the same thing Akira Miles." The boy, Hayato Gokudera, snapped as he bit down on his lit cigarette. His green eyes swept over the girl, examining her white hoodie and dark pants that were partially visible under the table. He counted no less than six knives on her person.

A chuffing laugh made him met her eyes again, bristling as he read the amusement dancing in them. Her hand reached into her pocket (ignoring the way Hayato tensed) to pull out a folded letter. "The same reason as you, I bet. I got a missive to report here. Now," Akira drawled as she placed the letter on the table, "what I want to know is why someone would call a couple of half-breeds to heel. Especially with that seal." Her eyes didn't stray from his.

A growl left his throat before he could really stop it, "Damn woman, I told you not to call me that!"

"Oh? But it's what you are. Why deny it?"

"If you don't shut up I'll-"

"You'll what? Blow me to kingdom come with those cute little sparklers you have there? By the way, I am _impressed_ with how many you're able to manage to keep on you. Do you have some shoved up your-"

"SHUT UP!"

"Make me mongrel!"

_**BANG!**_

The bullet whizzed through the space between their noses (neither teen had realized that they were that close until that moment) causing both to separate and whirl on their assailant, weapons at ready.

"Ciaossu."

The two teens froze under the obsidian eyes that stared at the from under the black fedora, a green and black gun pointing at them.

Akira licked her lips before slowly putting her daggers away as Hayato put his dynamite down as well, rolling her shoulders to relax them. "Ciao Mr. Reborn. How can we help you?"

A chill ran down her spin as she saw a smirk flit over Reborn's face. "I have mission for you two, directly from Vongola Nono." He paused, letting those words sink in. "Should you choose to accept you will be reward greatly."

"And should we not?" Akira drawled lazily, already knowing the answer.

"Then you are no further use to Vongola." The safety of the gun clicked off omniously.

The girl felt her shoulders droop minutely while to her right Hayato seemed to be vibrating with excitement. "Well I suppose when you put it that way..."

"Excellent. Hayato will be leaving for Japan in two days to challenge the candiate of Vongola Decimo. Should he fail Hayato will be Decimo."

The boy looked flabbergasted while Akira gaped like a fish, "Wait, what?"

Reborn ploughed on, ignoring the girl's incredulity, "Akira will follow a day afterward to personally guard the Decimo at the insistenice of CEDEF leader Iemistu Sawada."

"_WHAT?!"_

**Four Days Later**

"Class, this is Miles Akira. She just transferred from Italy so please make her feel welcomed. Miles-san, why don't you tell us a little about yourself."

"Oh? Well I'm half American-half Italian. I know Japenese, Italian, and English. Oh yeah, I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi's cousin. Please take care of me."

"HIIEEEE!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Complicated**

"But why?" Tsunayoshi asked (i_no, he prefers Tsuna/i_) for the tenth time. The hint of a whine made her grit her teeth in annoyance. Really, she had only been trying for the past ten minutes to answer without really answering his question on just _why_ he had never heard of her before. The boy was either perceptive or stubborn about whatever familial ties they shared. Which was a step up from all the other skills Tsuna lacked. Either way, her patience was running thin with 'Decimo' and his self-proclaimed 'right-hand man' (whom she was going to throw out the closest window if he _didn't stop trying to bore a hole through her skull with his eyes!._

Taking a breath, Akira tried to explain once more, "You have been kept out of the underground world for your whole life. I was born into this world. The fact that we haven't met before isn't really all that surprising otouto." Amusement flitted across her face as she watched Tsuna become flustered with the title she used for him. It seemed her 'little brother' wasn't used to giving him positive nicknames. Her eyes flicked around the classroom at that thought. Tsuna and Hayato had gathered around her desk as soon as the lunch bell rang to begin their interrogation and there were some glares directed in her new boss's direction. Levelly meeting each of their gazes, she waited till they had dropped their eyes before shifting her attention back to the kid she had quickly dubbed as 'adorable' in her head.

Suddenly there was a flurry of activity by the door as a student rushed by screaming about a jumper on the roof. The name 'Yamamoto Takeshi' was flung around, sending Tsuna into a tizzy. Apprently he blamed himself for an injury the other student had gotten. And now said student was about to jump to his death because he could no longer play his beloved sport. Her blue eyes tracked Tsuna as he ran out the door, Hayato following with a cry of 'Juudaime'.

Left to her own devices, Akira sighed heavily leaning her head back against the window she was seated beside. She didn't want to be here right now, babysitting a naïve little boy doomed to fail from the beginning.

She let out a sigh, letting her breath fog the window as she despaired her fate. A moment later, a scream rent through the air causing her to tense as shadow passed through the space on the other side of the window. For a second, her eyes connected with the shocked honey brown of the boy falling. Then he was past her view and she barely caught the sight of Tsuna falling after him before she was up out of her seat and running out.

By the time she got to the two were, all the excitement seemed to be over and the two boys were just sitting and chatting like they hadn't just fallen off the roof. Akira stared blankly at the two idiots before lashing out and grinding her fists into their heads. "Morons! Don't go doing reckless things!" Akira snarled.

"Ow, ow, stop Akira-san! It was an accident! The fence collapsed!" Tsuna defended himself and his new friend, ducking away from the offending fist.

"Mah, mah. I was just thanking Tsuna for saving me," The boy, she assumed was one Yamamoto Takashi, smiled up at her.

Akira fought the urge to bare her teeth at him out of sheer principal. Instead she sniffed, "Whatever. Otouto should go find some clothes before everyone accuses him of being a hentai." That brought up a screech of 'Hiiiieeee!' from the young Decimo. Really, Reborn had his work cut out for him.

"Mah, not to be rude," The baseball player called her attention once again, "but this is the first time I'm seeing you with Tsuna." His tone was curious but Akira could read a bit of wryness underneath it. Huh, smart boy.

"I'm Akira, Tsuna's cousin. And you're Yamamoto Takeshi." She swept her gaze over him, smirking as he tensed under her scrutiny. But it dropped after a moment as she intoned, "Idiot. It's not that complicated." Then, on a whim (and ignoring the look she was getting from him), she reacted over and tightened the knot on his sling. "Just fight for another purpose with a dying will."

Then she was moving away from the black-haired, honey-eyed boy intent on finding her charge. If she had turned back, she might have seen the wistful smile.

"Yeah."

_**Some Years Forward**_

Yamamoto Takashi frowned as he stared into the full length mirror fiddling with the tie of his suit attempting for the umpteenth time to get it to well.. tie. Alas, while he might be Vongola Demico's Rain and swordsman, it couldn't be said that he knew what he was doing when it came to bow ties and such.

"Well, don't you clean up nice?" The rather smug and amused voice of Miles Akira sounded behind him. His eyes flicked to the side, locking onto half-lidded blue eyes regarding him near the doorway and Takashi couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. She was dressed similar to him. A black suit and tie though the cut of it was clearly more feminine and her polished black shoes had a bit of a heel to them. All in all she looked nice. Pretty even if the Rain had to admit.

He turned from the mirror with a laugh, "You look nice too, Akira. Mah, but do you think you can give me a hand?" He motioned to the tie around his neck, "It's a lot harder than it looks."

"Idiot." She teased affectionately, already moving to him and setting about fixing the tie. "What kind of Guardian needs help with a simple tie?"

Takashi hummed lightly in response, not at all bothered by the words. There was no heat or malice behind them, just the teasing affection that he and the others had grown used to over the years. He watched her step back after she was done nodding to herself after a once over.

"You'll do." She smirked up at him before turning on her heel, "Let's go. The others are waiting on us."

The Rain smiled as he followed her out of the room. "Yeah."


End file.
